5. ‘Simeon and Levi are brothers –their swords are weapons of violence.
6. Let me not enter their council,let me not join their assembly,for they have killed men in their angerand hamstrung oxen as they pleased.
7. Cursed be their anger, so fierce,and their fury, so cruel!I will scatter them in Jacoband disperse them in Israel.
8. ‘Judah, your brothers will praise you;your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;your father’s sons will bow down to you.
9. You are a lion’s cub, Judah;you return from the prey, my son.Like a lion he crouches and lies down,like a lioness – who dares to rouse him?
10. The sceptre will not depart from Judah,nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,until he to whom it belongs shall comeand the obedience of the nations shall be his.
11. He will tether his donkey to a vine,his colt to the choicest branch;he will wash his garments in wine,his robes in the blood of grapes.
12. His eyes will be darker than wine,his teeth whiter than milk.
13. ‘Zebulun will live by the seashoreand become a haven for ships;his border will extend towards Sidon.
14. ‘Issachar is a scrawny donkeylying down among the sheepfolds.
15. When he sees how good is his resting placeand how pleasant is his land,he will bend his shoulder to the burdenand submit to forced labour.
16. ‘Dan will provide justice for his peopleas one of the tribes of Israel.